The NHS has re-launched the ‘Act F.A.S.T.’ campaign across England, which urges people to look out for the signs of a stroke, and to call 999 if they see any single one of them. The faster you act, the more of the person you are able to save.  

There are around 100,000 strokes a year in England, Scotland and Wales – at least one stroke every 5 minutes, with around 33,000 stroke-related deaths per year. 

Stroke is the fourth single leading cause of death in the UK and the single largest cause of complex disability. 

Stroke is a time-sensitive condition which means that any hesitancy and delay in getting treatment kills brain cells. Early recognition of stroke symptoms can give patients extra precious minutes, enabling faster access to specialist treatment and increasing the chances of a better outcome.   

The signs of stroke are: 

• Face – has their face fallen on one side? Can they smile? 
• Arms – can they raise both their arms and keep them there? 

• Speech – is their speech slurred? 
• Time – even if you’re not sure,  call 999 

Around 1.9 million nerve cells in the brain are lost every minute that a stroke is untreated, which can result in slurred speech and paralysis. If left untreated, a stroke can result in permanent disability or death. 

Some other signs that may be due to a stroke or mini stroke include:      

• Sudden loss of vision or blurred vision in one or both eyes   

• Sudden weakness or numbness on one side of your body (including in your leg)   
• Sudden memory loss or confusion    
• Sudden dizziness, unsteadiness or a sudden fall, especially with any of the other signs     

Black people are twice as likely to have a stroke than white people. On average, people of black African, black Caribbean and South Asian descent in the UK have strokes at an earlier age. 

Dr Jess Sokolov, Regional Medical Director in the Midlands, said: “This campaign is really important in highlighting what everyone should look out for if someone is suffering a stroke. The quicker someone is able to get the help they need, the more of the person is saved.  

“I encourage everyone in the Midlands to look at the F.A.S.T. symptoms, and make sure that they understand what to look out for.” 

For more information on stroke, please visit the NHS website.